Prince of the Shadowed Forest
by The Awsome one
Summary: What Legolas was doing during Bilbo's trip to Mirkwood


**I know for a fact that everyone has wondered about Legolas' role in _The Hobbit_, and because of the movie being filmed and because Orlando Bloom is going to be in it as Legolas, I have taken a copy of _The Hobbit_, I have borrowed and written this. **

**Summary: What did Legolas do when Bilbo was in Mirkwood? Here's his story**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or thing. All quotes are from _The Hobbit _by J.R.R. Tolkien **

**A/N: Legolas and Aragorn will be adding notes now and then because I feel like it. **

**Elvish: **

**Adar/Ada – Father/Daddy**

**Mellon-nin – My friend**

**Mellons-nin – My Friends **

**Quelohtar – Good Fighter**

**Heledhnin – My Glass**

**Tithin Las – Little Leaf**

**Aran-nin – My King**

**Ernil-nin – My Prince**

**Queltaur – Good Forest **

**Hildor – After-comers **

**Kelvar – Animals**

**Megilindar – Blade-singer **

**Ion-nin – My Son**

**Adar-nin/Ada-nin – My Father/My Daddy**

In the night in Mirkwood, Elves sat on the stumps of trees, around fires and torches with food and drink. A short pale haired Elf, holding two glasses of wine, walked over to another fair haired Elf who was watching everyone dance and sing. The Elf who was watching name was Legolas, son of Thranduil the King of Mirkwood. You may know his name, for years later from the time that this story takes place, he was one of the nine-walkers of the Fellowship of the Ring, but we must stay on track with this story.

"My Prince, some wine?" He asked, holding out a cup. Legolas took the cup, a small thank you on his lips. The other Elf, Quelohtar looked at the prince. "Is anything wrong, Ernil-nin?"

"Nay," Legolas shook his head, standing up. "Just a dark thought entered my mind. I thought I felt something dark enter our Taur."*

As Legolas turned to join in the merrymaking, he caught the sight of 13 short figures come into the clearing. He narrowed his eyes, knowing what they were. Dwarves. He gave a quick signal and the fires were kicked out, making the light pitch black. Legolas grabbed his bow and arrows and along with half of the Elves, hunted for the Dwarves. He had hunted in the dark before, there had been many times when he was traveling with Elladan and Elrohir and sometimes the Rangers that involed the dark.

"Set up the lights!" Legolas ordered. There was a light that once someone stepped into it, they would fall asleep for a short while. Most of the Elves, left to get the lights. Legolas had a look on his face. Whoever had entered his father's realm would not leave until they found out why they had entered.

XXX

A while later, Legolas and the rest of his warriors came across one of the Dwarves unconscious.

"What shall we do with him?"

"We'll bind him and take him to my father," Legolas replied. "He'll know what to do."

And so that was what they did. They bound the Dwarf and took him to the palace built in the mountain side; a palace that many say is a cave. **(Legolas: It is not a cave! Aragorn: Yes it is! L: Is not) **

King Thranduil sat on his throne watching the Elves and their captive enter the throne room. Thranduil and Legolas looked a lot alike, both with long golden hair, icy blue eyes and high cheekbones. But there were differences. Thranduil enjoyed treasure and showing off his wealth, while Legolas enjoyed the more simple things in life, but dressed up when needed. One example of their differences was when the king had his son made a shirt of mithril but his son had rarely worn it. Where it was now, well for all the Elves knew – Smaug the Dragon had it in his store.

After Legolas had told Thranduil what had happened Thranduil turned to the Dwarf.

"Why did you and your folk three times try to attack my people at their merrymaking?" Thranduil asked, in a harsh voice.

"We did not attack them; we came to beg, because we were starving."

"Where are your friends now and what are they doing?"

"I don't know, but I expect starving in the forest."

"What were you doing in the forest?"

"Looking for food and drink, because we were starving."

"But what brought you into the forest at all?"

Legolas could see his father's temper rising as the Dwarf refused to answer. Even Legolas knew that what the Dwarf was doing was a bad idea.

"Very well!" Thranduil then said. "Take him away and keep him safe, until he feels inclined to tell the truth, even if he waits a hundred years."

The prince knew what Thranduil meant. The Dwarf was being sent to the dungeons, or as Legolas said to the sons of Elrond of Rivendell, the cellars. **(A: Cellars? *Laughs* L: It is cellars. And that is final. A: Sure it is)**

Legolas watched as the Dwarf as led away, glaring at the king. Slowly Elves exited the throne room leaving only Thranduil and his son.

"How many Dwarves did you see?" Thranduil asked.

"Thirteen," Legolas replied. "We have one so that leaves twelve left."

"Did any harm you or any of your warriors?" Thranduil asked, looking over his son. Legolas understood what his father was really asking: Did they harm you in any way? Legolas had had a few run ins with Dwarves when he was younger and he had been injured almost every time.

"I am fine, Adar," Legolas replied.

"Your fine and my fine are difference things, Greenleaf."

"I am uninjured and tired of chasing Dwarves. Is that good enough for you? Now I am going to go to bed before I go out tomorrow to hunt down the rest of the Dwarves," at that Legolas left the room, to head to his private chambers.

XXX

Legolas and his warriors kneeled in trees, watching the Dwarves come down the path, right to them. He nodded and he and his warriors jumped out of the trees, right in front of the Dwarves.

"Halt!" Legolas called. The Dwarves stopped. "Strip them of their weapons and bind them," he called out, a commanding tone in his voice. As his warriors did as he bid, he could have sworn he saw another person, some second there, another gone. Legolas shook his head, telling himself he was seeing things.

"We take them to my father with all haste," Legolas said. He counted the Dwarves, noting there were twelve. They walked off, yet Legolas felt like someone was watching him, but when he turned around no one was there.

"Are you alright my prince?" A warrior named Kelvar asked his prince. Kelvar had grown up with Legolas and was a close friend.

Again they entered the palace and Thranduil bid his warriors to unbind them. The Dwarves may have been confused, but the Elves knew what their king meant. And the king explained.

"Besides they need no ropes in here. There is no escape from my magic doors for those who are once brought inside."

Thranduil questioned the Dwarves again, getting little answers.

"What have we done, O king?" One of them asked, the most likely the eldest. "Is it a crime to be lost in the forest, to be hungry and thirsty, to be trapped by spiders? Are the spiders your tame beats or your pets, if killing them makes you angry."

Legolas winced at the comment of about the spiders. His mother had been killed by spiders when Legolas had been very young. He knew his father hated being reminded of that and saying that the spiders were their pets pushed him too far. He could see the anger in his father's eyes and was thankful that it was not centered at him – even though there was nearly none a time when Thranduil was truly angry at his heir.

"It is a crime to wander in my realm without leave. Do you forget that you were in my kingdom using the road my people made? Did you not three times pursue and trouble my people in the forest and rouse the spiders with riot and clamour? After all the disturbance you have made I have a right to know what brings you here, and if you will not tell me now, I will keep you all in prison until you have learnt sense and manners!"

There was no answer from the Dwarves.

"Put them in separate cells and give them food and water, but do not let them out until at least one of them tells me what I want to know," Thranduil ordered. The Elves jumped to do the orders, all knowing what the spider remark had been very personal.

"They did not know father," Legolas said.

"About what, my son?" Thranduil asked.

"About mother," the prince said shortly. Thranduil looked up to see the memory in his son's eyes. Legolas had seen his mother's death, fore she had died protecting him. To men his son was old, nearly 3000 years, but to Elves that was young. Legolas had seen to many horrors of this world at such a young age. The king always wished that he had protected his son more, to save some of the pain and horror from his child's eyes. Without a word, Legolas disappeared from the room, moving silently.

XXX

The night the Dwarves had escaped, Legolas had been in his room re-reading a letter from the sons of Elrond. The moment that Bilbo had stolen the keys, he was smiling at it.

It read:

**Dear Legolas,**

Legolas knew then it was Elladan who was writing. Elrohir's writing was slightly neater.

**It has been many of many months since you have helped us plan a great prank. The great prank wars of Mirkwood, Imladris and Lothlorien were great ideas, but we need some more. Also Estel says hi.**

**Las! I misses you! When will you be back?**

Legolas grinned at Estel's writing. The child was a lovely joy to have around and Estel just adored Legolas. **(A: I forgot about my bad writing … L: You were so cute A: I am not cute! L: I said was, you lost your cuteness when you went out with the Rangers)**

Finally he found Elrohir's writing.

_**Estel has gone to get **Ada** because Elladan called him a bad name. Then Estel replied using a curse. Would you have anything to do with his new words?**_

_**Life here is normal. Write back!**_

**Signed Elladan**, **_Elrohir and_** **Estel**

Legolas laughed at the letter and wrote a reply.

_Dear Mellons-nin,_

_To Elladan: I am short on pranking plans, for I have been busy. I'll give you an idea … say three weeks from now or so._

_To Estel: I miss you too, you little bratling. I'm not too sure when I'll be back, but I hope it's soon._

_To Elrohir: Why do you think I have anything to do with it? Just because I know more than you do does not mean I have anything to do with it – I can't even write that with a straight face. It's been normal around here._ **(L: Seriously I cannot even think that with a straight face)**

_Signed Legolas Greenleaf_

Legolas closed over the letter, before exiting his room. It was time to get to the party. He hoped it would be good.

XXX

"Aran-nin! Aran-nin!" A guard named Queltaur ran into the party.

"What is it, Queltaur?" Thranduil asked, taking a sip of wine.

"They've escaped! The Dwarves have escaped!"

Now that froze the party. Thranduil almost choked on his wine. **(A: I've never seen that …)**

"What did you say?" He asked.

"The Dwarves. They've escaped!"

Legolas along with his father, the guard and some warriors went to the dungeons. Legolas being the expert at lockpicking looked at the cell doors.

"They weren't picked," Legolas said after a while of looking. "The lock is not damaged in anyway. It looks like they used the key to unlock it, but how?"

Thranduil was silently, his eyes narrowed at the cell doors. How could have they escaped.

As Legolas was thinking, an idea came to him.

"Adar," he asked. Thranduil nodded. "I have a theory but I need to tell you alone."

Thranduil nodded again, and the royals headed to Thranduil's chambers. Once there, Legolas closed the door.

"What is your theory, ion-nin?" Thranduil asked, taking another sip of wine.

"When we caught the other twelve Dwarves I thought for a second I saw another person. About their height with curly hair. But when I blinked it was gone. From time to time I felt like someone was watching me. Do you think that they might have had help?"

"If they did, how did it get into here without us noticing?"

They thought about that for a while, but didn't come up with an answer. Little did they know that it was the ring that had allowed Bilbo to get in and out of the palace.

XXX

Legolas rushed through the camp, looking for his father. He had been out hunting with Kelvar, Hildor and Heledhnin when he got a message from his father telling him to come here.

"Megilindar!" He called to a Captain.

"Yes, Prince Legolas?" Megilindar answered.

"Where is my father?"

"In the tent over there," Megilindar said. Legolas took off to the tent. "But he's not alone!" But the prince didn't hear him. Opening the tent door at when a small voice said: "Really I must be going, and quickly."

Inside was a man that Legolas knew as Bard, his father and a Halfling in amour and wrapped in blankets.

"I am sorry if I interrupted anything," Legolas said.

"Bard, Master Baggins," Thranduil began, telling Legolas with his eyes that the meeting was over, "this is my son, Legolas. Legolas, I am sure you know Bard, but the Halfling is Bilbo Baggins."

Legolas gave a nod to both of them and he smiled to himself when Bilbo realized that this was a prince.

"It is good to met you, Master Baggins," Legolas said. "Father, I have brought with my some more of our archers that were out when you left. I believe we have enough to fight."

XXX

There was a sharp pain in Legolas' chest. Flashbacks of a battle came back. He had been surrounded by Orcs and killed all but one before the last one threw a spear it him. He felt pain and heard a thud and then he knew no more.

Opening his eyes, he knew he was in a tent. Legolas blinked. There was a person on the cot beside him and another person visiting him. He knew who the visitor was.

"Mithrandir," he said. Gandalf turned to the Elf-Prince.

"Fool of a leaf," he muttered. "It took your guards three hours to find you under all those bodies. It didn't help with that spear in your chest." **(A: Where was I? L: With your brothers)**

"Good to see you too," Legolas muttered. "Where's Ada?"

"Sleeping. Your father spent the entire night waiting for you to wake up. It took a lot of time to get him to sleep. Stubborn fool."

Legolas grinned sheepishly.

"Did we win?" The Elf asked. Gandalf gave him a look. "Fine, fine. I get it. We won."

The tent opening and Thranduil came in. He was in simple warrior's uniform and looked like he was angry.

"You!" He pointed at Gandalf. "You said you would wake me up when Legolas woke up!" He said and then turned to the Elf in the bed, "And you! Don't you ever do something stupid like that ever again!" Legolas grinned sheepishly, again.

"It's not liked I wanted to be speared through the chest and buried under a pile of Orcs," Legolas said. "I would much rather be in Rivendell with Estel and the twins causing mischief and havoc wherever we go."

Thranduil just looked to the heavens pleadingly.

**Years Later**

When leaving Rivendell with the company of the Nine Legolas allowed himself a small smile. Sure he was going a life threateningly mission with a small chance of coming back alive, was with Estel (now Aragorn fore that was his birth name) who got into nearly as much trouble as him and a companion was a Dwarf but there was one piece of good news.

He could tell his father finally how the Dwarves escaped the dungeons (Cellars) all those years ago.

**Fin**

***Forest **

**Okay where that's the end of my one-shot. For _Return of the Ring _(Or as I call it_ ROTR) _I'm on writers block so it might take awhile to get another chapter up.**

**On my Thranduil; I don't see him as a greedy, selfish, drunken father. I see him as a somewhat greedy, caring, stern, father. Also if you have read the last book it says that Thranduil renamed Mirkwood Eryn Lasgalen which means _Forest of the Greenleaves_ and Legolas' name in the common tongue is Greenleaf therefore Thranduil must have loved and cared for his son enough to rename Mirkwood after him.**

**Wow nine pages in word – a new record for me. Well hopefully someone will read and review this at least. I worked hard on this. **

**Cookies for anyone who reviews! **


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